old
ells.
Artist's conception of the Hewitt oil field located nearArdmore, Oklahoma. Large quantities of water are being injected
into the oil-saturatedrock to significantlyincrease the oil production.
which still remain in the pores of
the rock. In some cases, particu
larly where the oil is thicker,
sometimes nearly the consis
tency of molasses, steam injec
tion also is being tested. The hot
steam heats the oil, making it
flow more freely.
In perhaps the most dramatic
oil-recovery technique, air is in
jected into the rock formation
holding the oil. This injected air
supports controlled under
ground combustion, which heats
the oil, causes it to flow more
readily and drives it to the well.
In addition, Exxon is testing
and evaluating several other ter
tiary techniques.
A realistic look at the future.
To date, about 450 billion bar
rels of oil have been found and
documented in the United States.
Even after additional recovery ef
forts, like the waterflooding at
Hewitt, are applied, some 300 bil
lion barrels of this oil will still re-
main locked in the pores of rock.
Today, there is no way to recover
all of this oil.
But scientists believe that ex
perimental "tertiary" techniques
like "detergents" and combus
tion could someday produce a
significant amount of additional
oil which America will need in
the years ahead.
E5ON